Does Anyone Have a Happy Body?

Just had a chance to look at Dr. McGill’s back performance book (1st edition). Does anyone know anything about The Happy Body program he mentions?

I’m interested in learning more about this program so if anyone has any information about it or experience with it, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks.

I train under the guy who made The Happy Body, Jerzy Gregorek. He trains me for Olympic lifting though, I don’t know the details of The Happy Body program itself. Here’s exactly what I’m doing right now:

Day 1: Snatch 30/1, 2 min rest between reps
Day 2: Back Squat 30/1, same rest
Day 3: Front Squat 20/1, 3 minutes rest
Day 4: Snatch Squat 30/1, 2 minutes rest
Day 5: off

Each day I mark the difficulty between 1 and 10, 10 being hardest. I do the same weight the whole workout, and increase the next time by 2.5kg if it’s easy. He stresses technique and speed A LOT. The program is really simple, just do a 1 hour workout of 20-30 singles, increase the weight when it’s easy to get all 30 (or 20). Like I said, I don’t know anything about The Happy Body.

Yoda,

That’s an interesting program.

Are you doing any work for the pulls or jerk?

[quote]Yoda-x wrote:
I train under the guy who made The Happy Body, Jerzy Gregorek. He trains me for Olympic lifting though, I don’t know the details of The Happy Body program itself. Here’s exactly what I’m doing right now:

Day 1: Snatch 30/1, 2 min rest between reps
Day 2: Back Squat 30/1, same rest
Day 3: Front Squat 20/1, 3 minutes rest
Day 4: Snatch Squat 30/1, 2 minutes rest
Day 5: off

Each day I mark the difficulty between 1 and 10, 10 being hardest. I do the same weight the whole workout, and increase the next time by 2.5kg if it’s easy. He stresses technique and speed A LOT. The program is really simple, just do a 1 hour workout of 20-30 singles, increase the weight when it’s easy to get all 30 (or 20). Like I said, I don’t know anything about The Happy Body.[/quote]

I’m really interested in your program, how long does this phase last? and what is the next phase like (sets/reps)? 30 sets of singles–with what rep max?

-For anyone w/The Happy Body Routine I’m interested, too.

I have happy feet. :slight_smile:

[quote]Ross Hunt wrote:
Yoda,

That’s an interesting program.

Are you doing any work for the pulls or jerk?[/quote]

As of right now I’m not doing anything for pulls. I do a behind the neck jerk every time I do an overhead squat, so I’m sorta working jerls. I don’t do snatches from the floor either, or cleans. I have no idea how long the phase lasts, but I’m pretty sure that I’ll be doing a routine similar to this indefinitely. I imagine that the exercises will change once the proper technique is in place. Once I’m strong and proficient enough I’ll probably move up to the full lifts. I don’t know when that is. Jerzy isn’t the most forthcoming of people with where you are in the scheme of things.

Thanks for the input.

So he’s a pretty knowledgable teacher, then?

Ya, he’s knowledgible. He lifted in the 60kg weight class when he was young and had a 115kg snatch and 150kg clean and jerk. Today he is the same bodyweight, and at 52 can snatch 90kg and clean and jerk 105kg. That’s apparently good enough to win his age class at the world masters meets. He also does the whole Happy Body thing, although I’m not too familiar with it’s details.

Thanks again.

I actually called his gym the other day. I guess I talked to him. Currently, the program is available only in person. They’re still working on the book/video. He said probably the end of the year, so…stand by to stand by.

Yoda,

I’m curious what kind of stength gains have you made on your lifts and over what time period training with all those singles?

My strength on the squat is nowhere near where it was a year ago, but that’s because I stopped squatting for a couple months and then never gained the strength back on my own. I squat 300 now, not great, but my snatch technique is much better (with about the same weight: 60-70kg). I actually build myself up to higher numbers myself, but Jerzy dropped the weight and has had me build up slowly with proper technique, so I can’t really compare my strength now to then. My overhead squat has gone up considerably, from 205lb x 4 to 235lb x 1 (I had never donw more than 205 when I did it for 4). The thing is, I know I could’ve barely even got 235 over my head before, now I do it 30 times each workout, pretty easily, so my behind-the -neck jerk has improved as well.

My numbers aren’t that great, but I’m determined to follow the program closely and see where it goes. I’ve had a tendency not to follow my coaches in the past when it came to lifting, and I want to give Jerzy a fair test. Also, he trained this way and got some damn good numbers, so the method does work. I’ve only been doing it 4-5 months now, starting from baby weights to get my technique down.

Sorry, a mini threadjack. I normally don’t do this, and I’m cutting it off after this, I promise.

I noticed your avatar, Yoda. I’m a UCLA student too. If you go to Wooden, you must be one of the other four or so guys who use the squat racks.

Ya, I’m probably one of those. I’ve never met a UCLA student who had heard of T-Nation before. Usually I work out in Acosta though, because of the weightlfiting club. I haven’t been in Wooden much since fall quarter.

Yoda,

That’s one heck of an overhead squat 235 for 30 singles! You must be rock solid when you catch the snatch. The numbers you quote cetainly aren’t your 1RM since you can do them for 20-30 singles. These are probably 80-85% of you 1RM. Nice work.

[quote]Seattle_Lifter wrote:
Yoda,

That’s one heck of an overhead squat 235 for 30 singles! You must be rock solid when you catch the snatch. The numbers you quote cetainly aren’t your 1RM since you can do them for 20-30 singles. These are probably 80-85% of you 1RM. Nice work.[/quote]

The numers are definitely not my max. Jerzy stresses speed on every rep, so you have to do it fast before you move up weight. But yes, every exercise is for 20-30 singles.